metadata

noun

meta·​da·​ta ˌme-tə-ˈdā-tə 

-ˈda-,

 also  -ˈdä-

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: data that provides information about other data

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How Metadata Was Formed

It's easy to find data on the source of "metadata": the word was formed by combining "data" with "meta-," which means "transcending" and is often used to describe a new but related discipline designed to deal critically with the original one. "Meta-" was first used in that way in "metaphysics" and has been extended to a number of other disciplines, giving us such words as "metapsychology" and "metamathematics." "Metadata" takes the "transcending" aspect a step further, applying it to the concept of pure information instead of a discipline. "Metadata" is a fairly new word (it appeared in the latter half of the 20th century), whereas "data" can be traced back to the middle of the 17th century.

Examples of metadata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

With over 4 billion clinical notes and rich metadata, OMNY’s data trove unlocks insights buried deep in unstructured formats like physician dictations, discharge summaries, and imaging reports. —Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Its metadata showed that it was created in January. —Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025

If the metadata is missing, it might be generated by AI. —Arryn Robbins, The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2025

But that honorable horse left the barn long before a mandate to capture such metadata was even contemplated, let alone enforced. —Dave S. Brody, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1983, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for metadata

• bhagavata
• capitata
• ciliata
• coronata
• oblongata
• odonata
• radiata
• tathagata
• acuminata
• desiderata
• fasciculata
• microbiota

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